Method of and apparatus for drawing wire



(No Model.)

T. A.,EDISON. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING WIRE.

No. 436,969. Patented Sept. 23, 1890 M. W l I 0 1 l 0 M 1/ m m UNIT DSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. EDISON, or MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY.

METHODOF AND APPARATUS FOR DRAWING WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,969, datedSeptember 23, 1890.

Application filed June 10, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. EDISON, of

Menlo Park, in the county of Middlesex and operations of drawing wireand annealing it a continuous process, the result being a cheapening ofthe product and a saving in cost of manufacturing-plant.

This invention is an improvement upon the apparatus particularly setforth in my application, Serial No. 134,244, being designed to performthe method broadly claimed therein, and alsoincludes an improvement uponthat method. In that application an apparatus is particularly describedin which the wire is drawn in succession through a numberof dieplatesand is heated at intermediate points by an electric current, and is alsodrawn through a suitable pickle to remove the surface oxide, theseoperations being performed simultaneously upon a continuous line of wireand successively upon different portions of it.

By my present invention I substitute for. the connections with a sourceof electrical energy, which are used to heat the wire, chambers heatedexternally, through which the line of Wire passes, the wire entering andleaving the chambers through suitable airexcluding stuffing-boxes. Theoxygen within the chambers is quickly consumed, so that but littleremains therein, leaving the wire surrounded by nitrogen, and hence theheating can be performed with but slight oxidation of the wire. Theseheating-chambers are preferably located between 1 the drawingwheels andpickling-reservoirs, and form part of the apparatus for performing thecontinuous process of drawing, annealing, and pickling covered bytheapplication referred to. The chambers with stufiing-boxes are heatedexternally to anneal the wire; but it is evident that the wire may beheated within the chambers by connections with one or moredynamo-electric machines, as described in my application referred to,the inclosing chambers with stufling-boxes preventin g-erret-arding theoxidation of the wire.

Serial No. 134,245. (No model.)

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is anelevation showing one of the series of'parts of which the apparatus iscomposed; Fig. 2, a separate sect on of the heating-chamber on a largerscale; Fig. 8, a cross-section of such heating-chamber, and Fig. 4. avertical section of a modified form of the heating-chamber.

A is a wire drawing die; B, a drawingwheel O, the heating-chamber, and Da pickling-tub, all arranged in succession to act simultaneously uponthe continuous line of wire a, and successively upon different parts ofit. The entire apparatus is a multiplication of these parts, although itmay be suflicient to have a heating-chamber and pickling tub after everysecond or third drawing-die.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the heatingchamber C may be a tube ofporcelain, nickel, or other material, metal, or composition capable ofwithstandingthehigh heat used. This tube is heated by gas-jets E, and ablast may be used, if desired, to increase the heat. The flames aredirected around the tube by shields F, of fire-clay or other suitablematerial. The tube C has its ends extended beyond the heating-flames,forming hollow arms I), and these are provided with stufling-boxes G G,having asbestus or other non-combustible packing. The heating-chambermay, however, be of the construction shown in Fig. 4. Here the chamber 0is a closed cylindrical chamber, with a fire-boxH belowit and a fine Iat the rear for carrying off the products of combustion. This chamberhas hollow arms 1), extending from opposite sides, provided with thestuffing-boxes G G. A revolving drum K, within the chamber, has the wirepassed around it one or more times for prolonging the time the wire isin the chamber.

What I claim is-- 1. In the continuous process of drawing and annealingwire, the method herein described of heating the wire, consisting inpassing it continuously through a heating-chamber from which the oxygenof the air is excluded wholly or principally, whereby the heating willbe performed wholly or principally in the presence of nitrogen andoxidation will be prevented or retarded, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a wire-drawing die, of a heating-chamber inproximity there- 4. The combination of a. wire-drawing die, with, sothata continuous length of wire may a heating-chamber, a drawing-wheel,and a be drawn through said chamber and said die, pickling-reservoir,substaiiti city as set forth. said chamber having air-excludingstufling- This specification signed and witnessed this 5 boxes throughwhich the. wire passes, sub- 2d day of June, 1884.

stantially as set forth. v v

3. The combination, with a wire-drawing T die, of an externally-heatedchamber through Witnesses: which the wire ispassed after leaving thedie, ALF. W. KIDDLE,

10 substantially as set forth. E. O. ROWLAND.

